Christopher Columbus is viewed as a heroic explorer because of the land he found, however other than that fact not much emphasis has been put into who he was. Was Christopher Columbus truly a heroic explorer or is his legacy one of cruelty, slavery and genocide?
As a United States citizen the importance of our nation 's foundation is taught in early childhood, starting with the stories of Christopher Columbus and his significantly important journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Christopher Columbus was a man who believed that by sailing west he would land in Asia. He was searching for a quicker route to China. Columbus began lobbying for his travels nearly ten years before he gained the support of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.
In August …show more content…
When the native people tried to rebel they faced an extreme level of brutality, rape, and murder. This control was publically displayed to ensure that the natives knew who had control. With a new motivation of fulfilling his promises to the king and queen, a new side of Columbus was born.
Columbus made the natives work in the gold mines until they were past the point of exhaustion. A quota of a thimble of gold dust was required with a three month time limit in order to ensure compliance. If the quota was not met, brutal consequences were enforced varying in degree from beheading to the removal of a limb. Many natives died from blood loss, over ten thousand died handless. In two years time approximately 250,000 natives were deceased due to the destruction and brutality Columbus created.
Trying desperately to fulfill the promises he made to the king and queen of Spain, Columbus may have found a new world but in the process he destroyed one that existed. Whether it was the direct result of his actions and supremacy or not, the end result was still the same. Brutality is never the answer to the growth of a good
As a United States citizen the importance of our nation 's foundation is taught in early childhood, starting with the stories of Christopher Columbus and his significantly important journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Christopher Columbus was a man who believed that by sailing west he would land in Asia. He was searching for a quicker route to China. Columbus began lobbying for his travels nearly ten years before he gained the support of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.
In August …show more content…
When the native people tried to rebel they faced an extreme level of brutality, rape, and murder. This control was publically displayed to ensure that the natives knew who had control. With a new motivation of fulfilling his promises to the king and queen, a new side of Columbus was born.
Columbus made the natives work in the gold mines until they were past the point of exhaustion. A quota of a thimble of gold dust was required with a three month time limit in order to ensure compliance. If the quota was not met, brutal consequences were enforced varying in degree from beheading to the removal of a limb. Many natives died from blood loss, over ten thousand died handless. In two years time approximately 250,000 natives were deceased due to the destruction and brutality Columbus created.
Trying desperately to fulfill the promises he made to the king and queen of Spain, Columbus may have found a new world but in the process he destroyed one that existed. Whether it was the direct result of his actions and supremacy or not, the end result was still the same. Brutality is never the answer to the growth of a good